CompTIA Blog

Last week, the Senate passed the Gang of Eight’s immigration bill S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. The legislation passed by a vote of 68-32, with 14 Republicans supporting the measure.  We applaud the Senate for their commitment to this issue and on passage of the legislation.  Please click here to see the statement we released last week.  However, passage in the Senate was only the first of many battles that th ...

"I think it's the best available on the market to strengthen our technicians' knowledge and skills for their careers." Ali Moosa Alhussaini Director Of Technical Support & Operation, Directorate General of Information Technology, Oman Ministry of Education The Oman Ministry of Education wanted to strengthen the hardware and software skills of 900 IT technicians and engineers working in ministry headquarters, 18 regional offices and 1,040 schools. These employees were responsible for in ...

“Time,” said Morris Panner, CEO of DICOM Grid.com, answering the vexing question of what breeds innovation during a panel of entrepreneurs speaking at the Congressional Small Business IT Caucus today in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. “What makes a successful innovation culture is time. The structural provisions in the Startup 3.0 Act give entrepreneurs time.” (Watch video of the entire panel here.) Through payroll tax incentives, Startup 3.0 al ...

The IT helpdesk at Munson Healthcare in Traverse City, Mich., needed to improve its performance and efficiency. The help desk workload was growing in volume and complexity as new hospitals, physicians’ offices and other medical facilities became clients of IT as a service options offered by this regional, non-profit, healthcare network. A professional development program that required CompTIA certifications for specific help desk roles improved the help desk team’s skill set, call center performance metrics and employee job satisfaction.

If you still haven’t registered for CompTIA ChannelCon, let’s talk numbers. With your registration, you’ll have access to over 3,300 minutes of educational content, 26 intensive courses, six CompTIA Executive Certificate programs, four hot topic panels, two exciting keynote sessions and over 50 expert speakers. And, did we mention that it’s all happening at the luxurious Peabody Hotel in gorgeous Orlando? Warm weather and refreshing pool aside, we know that you’re r ...

The explosive growth of e-commerce has made it as easy to do business with a customer across the country as with one across the street. Lightning fast Internet access, mobile and handheld devices, cloud computing and a host of other technology innovations make it possible for businesses to do business online, whether they’re small, medium or large in size. The e-commerce market continues to grow at a double-digit rate each year. In 2013, online retail sales in the U.S. are projected to rea ...

When was the last time you posted a help wanted sign and a number of suitably qualified individuals lined up to fill out an application? Chances are it’s been a while, especially for solution providers and other IT companies looking for experienced technicians and engineers. The labor force and the processes involved in attracting this pool of new talent have both evolved over the past few years. Employment specialists often point to work ethic and personal motivation differences between ...

If you’ve ever taken a business class, you’re likely familiar with the term “value proposition.” Simply stated, the phrase means a promise of value to the customer. While that promise is likely paramount to a company’s mission, oftentimes a promise just isn’t enough to pull new customers in the front door. That’s why managed print services (MPS) providers across North America are pursuing the CompTIA Managed Print Trustmark – a recognized, third-pa ...

Student Balaji Kundalam may still be preparing to enter the technical workforce, but his understanding of how things work has already given him a leg up on his peers. The Indian engineering student knew his years troubleshooting hometown computer issues wouldn't mean much without backing that people recognize and respect. "Just saying I'm experienced in hardware and software, employers hardly recognize that as I don't have any proof to substantiate my statement," said Kundalam, 22. "But with ...

To say that Scott Storm, founder of Storm Computer in Wichita Falls, Texas, is a pro-veteran employer is putting it lightly. He hired six veterans – most from nearby Sheppard Air Force Base – in 2012. Two have since left the company. Three of the four veterans remaining in Storm’s employ have some form of disability. Storm, a CompTIA ambassador and blue ribbon volunteer, has faith in their abilities. “We’ll have a meeting ...

“The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA),” also known as “No Child Left Behind,” expired at the end of fiscal year 2008 and while it has been due for reauthorization, it has been operating at FY 2008 levels. In recent weeks, we have seen a lot of activity around this legislation as both the House and Senate have begun work on reauthorizing the bill. In the Senate, the “Strengthening America’s Schools Act” was introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D ...

If you trained for the CompTIA A+ 701 and 702 exam objectives, but haven't yet actually taken the exams, you need to register soon with Pearson VUE because CompTIA will retire the 700 series exams (in English) on Aug. 31. All other language versions will retire Dec. 31. After that, students will only be able to become CompTIA A+ certified by taking the 800 series exams, which cover new technologies and include performance-based questions. You can compare the differences in the exams by download ...

For the inaugural graduating class of Chicago Tech Academy High School (ChiTech), early June was a bittersweet, in-between time. With exams done, grades in, and prom over, there was not much for the 68 young people to do but tie up loose ends and wait. Soon enough, the first graduates of this start-up high school will be launched into the world equipped with 21st century technology and leadership skills. “I feel a little numb I’m not going to be in high school anymore,&rdqu ...

These days everything is customized to your unique preferences. You get coupons at the grocery store based on what you usually purchase, advertisements pop up online based on the websites you frequent and even social media sites are making recommendations on what they think you might like. So it should be no surprise that CompTIA ChannelCon – taking place July 29 to 31 in Orlando, FL – is now customizable to both your business and personal needs via myChannelCon. As a unique benefit ...

This guest editorial is by Amy Kardel, chief administrator officer of Clever Ducks, an IT service firm in San Luis Obispo, CA. At Clever Ducks, we know our customers need to invest in new technology. However, during the economic downturn over the last few years, many of our clients haven’t been able to update their technology infrastructure, because they’ve had to make hard choices in their own businesses. Technology infrastructure needs to be replaced as it ages and much of today&rs ...